Something that people frequently overlook when trying to manage chronic pain is what they eat and their nutrition. But, in a real sense, an easy remedy for at least some of your chronic pain is in the foods you’re eating. One chiropractor in Sacramento calls it Nutritional Counseling.

How You Eat Affects Your Pain

Yep, and not just what you eat but how much you eat. It’s about taming that appetite. While it’s important that everyone eat a healthy, balanced diet. It’s even more important if you are battling with chronic pain. And that can be from any condition. From a failed surgery, a bad back, fibromyalgia, or anything else that can cause pain to last and last.

Making sure your diet is well-balanced diet has so many different benefits to your overall health, it’s hard to list them all. But, we’re talking about pain right now.

First and foremost, if you’re overweight or obese, this will magnify the pain that you have for obvious reasons. It’s hard for the body to carry a lot of extra weight if it’s not in tip top shape. So controlling how much you eat in an effort to lose weight can go a long way to helping arthritic knees, hips, and ankles (not to mention that bad back) a lot better.

But, losing weight can also take a load off your heart too. If your ticker is ticking efficiently, then your blood will be circulating. And, if you have good circulation, you’ll have less pain overall.

Nutrition: It’s Not Just About Losing Weight

But, losing weight is just one thing that involves the food you eat. Nutrition is another aspect of managing chronic pain. Surely you know that chiropractors are known for treating people with low back pain. Did you know a big portion of DCs also consult in nutrition to help with pain relief and improving overall function? True story.

You’ll see supplements in many chiropractic offices. There are antioxidants, minerals, and herbs of all sorts. These are generally taken to help bolster your diet. They’re important because a lot of pain is caused by inflammation in the system.

Antioxidants and other supplements can help with inflammation. But, diet can also help reduce inflamed tissues also. Fruits like cranberries, cherries and oranges, peaches, and kiwi can help. Then different vegetables such as asparagus, cauliflower are also known to help people with pain conditions.

Chiropractors frequently consult patients and encourage chronic pain sufferers avoid things like dairy products, eggs, and meat because they are associated with chronic inflammatory conditions. But also things like wheat, or, corn have been reported to worsen inflammation. For some people even chocolate has to be avoided. Bummer.

Bottom line: You may have more control over your chronic pain than you think. It may be all in what you eat.

Our bodies are made and maintained by whatever we eat or consume. So, in order for all the tissues and parts of the body to be in the best shape and of the best quality, you got to make sure you’re getting the best kind of food.

Not only should the food be the best it can be. It has to be cooked or prepared in a good way to. Not over or undercooking. Not old and stale. And, it helps if the combinations of food are compatible too.

Be religious about it. Make sure you get the best out of each meal. And, even if you have to make simple meals like sandwiches, just make sure there is a lot of variety. Don’t get stuck in a rut just eating peanut butter and jelly.

Here’s a good sandwich recipe:

lets start step by step veg cheese toast sandwich recipe:
1. first prep everything before you start preparing the sandwiches. prepare the chutney. here i made coriander-mint chutney. also slice the veggies and grate the cheese. the cheese added is cheddar cheese.
2. slice the edges of the bread if you prefer. spread butter evenly on all the slices. make sure the butter covers the entire of bread. a generous coating of butter does not allow the bread to become soggy, when you apply the chutney.
3. spread the mint-coriander chutney on all the bread slices.
4. place the onion, tomato, potato and capsicum slices. sprinkle some chaat masala or sandwich masala on them. also sprinkle a pinch of black salt evenly.
5. now top with grated cheese.
6. cover the sandwiches with the remaining bread slices and place in a preheated toaster or grill.
7. toast for 2 to 3 minutes till the bread gets toasted well and golden. toast the remaining veg cheese sandwiches in the same way.
8. spread some butter on top of the hot sandwiches and serve cheese toast sandwich hot with the remaining chutney and tomato sauce.

At its core, the Paleo diet is devoid of all processed foods, refined sugars and dairy. In theory, it is supposed to mirror the way Stone Age hunter-gatherers ate. The diet has been around for a while but has gained popularity over the last several years. And it doesn’t seem to be headed for extinction anytime soon.

Nate Furlong, of New Hudson, Mich., has been following a Paleo diet for three years. Furlong, 29, a clinical-exercise physiologist, discovered the Paleo way of eating while working in a cardiologist office. (He’s also a personal trainer and Paleo nutrition expert.)

“I was … helping clients with some nutrition recommendations according to normal USDA standards: low fat, kind of low protein and higher in carbohydrates,” Furlong said. “I saw them lose some weight, but not get off meds, so I started searching other options and Paleo was talked about favorably.”

You may not be able to find your way to the Herb and Garden Faire in Lancaster PA. But don't let that discourage your from looking for one closer to you.

You can learn so much from the gardners and even the other visitors that it will be well worth the effort.

After a day of watching, smelling, and tasting all things herbal… and seeing how simple setting up a an herb garden can be for yourself, you will have plenty of ideas to spice up any meal.

What started out as a small plant has grown over the years into what may be the largest event of this type in the northeast. There’s always an impressive lineup of nurseries, herb growers, and plant lovers offering an array of rare, heirloom, and unusual, plants for sale. From vegetables to fruits, and herbs to flowers, if there is a plant that you’re looking for chances are good that you can pick it up at the Herb & Garden Faire. Credits: A Weekend at the Herb and Garden Faire